Tooth-brush.



H. REICHE.

TOOTH BRUSH.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 28,1910.

Patented Feb. 22, 1916.

WITNESSES.-

Arm/Mfrs an entree rarnnr or HERMANN BEICHE, 0F MILLSTONE, NEW

roorn-nausn.

- a Specificat ters @atent. Patemtg jl F 15, 22, 1916,,

Application filed July 28, 1910. Serial No. 574,269.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMANN Rnronn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Millstone, in the county of Somerset and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Tooth-Brush, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in brushes, and more particularly to a type of brush especially adapted for cleaning the teeth, although it is evident that my improved brush might be used for various other purposes. The important feature of the construction relates to the brush proper, which has incorporated therewith a dentifrice, whereby the necessity of applying the dentifrice separately either to the brush or to the teeth, is obviated.

The brush is so simple in its construction and so inexpensive to manufacture, that. it

may be thrown away after being used a single time. A suificient amount of dentifrice is incorporated in or combined with the brush to provide for a single operation only.

Thus, my-construction is far more sanitary and cleanly than the brushes which are now used indefinitely or until worn out by long usage.

In the operation of my improved brush arotary movement is preferably employed,

. v and is caused by any suitable form of motor embodied within the handle or attached to the handle of the brush. I

The brush maybe made of any' suitable material, as, for instance, bristles, fiber, rubber, indurated elastic sheets, or absorbent material, such as felt. The nature and action of the applicative material used inconjunction with the brush, may be the same as that of the usual dentifrice; that is, it may be detergent, bleaching, antiseptic, or the like.

- As an important feature, I incorporate as one of the ingredients, a material such as bluing, which will impart suitable tints to teeth which are naturally yellow or otherwise discolored. This will cause the teeth 'to appear white.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of refthrough; Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view of one of the sheets going to make up the brush; Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 is an enlarged side elevation of the end of the handle, the brush being removed.

To show one form of adaptation of the present invention, I have herein described and shown in the accompanying drawings, a support and driving mechanism for the improved tooth brush.

In the specific construction illustrated, the brush proper is mounted upon a stem which includes two telescoping sections 10 and 11. The outer section 11 is non-circular, for instance, hexagonal, in cross section, and at one end is split longitudinally to form a plurality of separate tongues 12. These tongues normally converge, as is illustrated in Fig. 5, and each has an outwardly-extending flange 13 at its outer end. When the separate tongues or prongs 12 are in their inner position, as indicated in Fig. 5, the periphery of the flanges 13 will be substan tially equal to or less than the periphery of the body portion of the section 11. The brush proper in the form illustrated, is made up of a plurality of sheets 14, each perforated at the center to non-rotatively receive the stem section 11, and each sheet has a plurality of outwardly-extending resilient prongs, 15, and each two adjacent sheets are the dentifrice... In securing the brush to the stem, the several layers are slipped on to the end of the stem section 11, past the flanges 13, and the two stem sections are then'moved lengthwise relatively to each other,so as to bring the end of the inner section 10 in between the several prongs or fingers, to

' spread the latter apart. This spreading ac- :tion brings the flanges 13 outwardly, so that the outer layer of the brush proper cannot slip off. The sheets are preferably joined 'separatedor spaced apart by a layer 16 of this flange and the adjacent layer of the brush, I employ a coil spring 18, which brings the sheets together and holds them against the flanges 13. The two sections 10 and 11 of the stem are non-rotatable in respect to each other. The innerend of the section 10 is rounded, so as to facilitate the spreading apart of the fingers or prongs 12. The stem portion 10 is hollow, so that a fluid may be delivered therethrough to a point adjacent the part operated on by the brush. The outer end of the stem has means for forcing a liquid through the same. The means preferably employed is a bulb 19, having an inlet valve 20 at its outer end and at its inner end a cap 21, through which the tube section 10 extends.

For rotating the brush and its stem, I pro- "ide a suitable motor, which is preferably inclosed within a casing 22, mounted on the stem. The motor may be a spring motor and a may be wound by a relative rotation of the cap 21 and the body of the casing. As shown, the cap 21 incloses the outer end of the casing 22, and has a milled flange 23 to facilitate the turning of the cap in respect to the casing. It also has a pin 24 extending into an annular groove in the casing, to prevent the relative longitudinal movement of the two. Secured to the cap 21, is an inner cap or barrel 25, having an inwardly-directed substantially cylindrical flange 26. This flange presents outwardly-extending teeth, as illustrated particularly in Fig. 4,

and the adjacent portion of the casing wall has aninwardly-extending spring tooth 27 for engagement with these teeth to prevent the relative rotation of the casing and cap in one direction. Within the barrel 25 is a coil spring 28, the outer end of which is secured to the inner surface of the flange 26, and the inner end of which is-secured to a hub 29 on the stem 10. This hub is loosely mounted on the stem, and is connected to .a

barrel 30 adjacent to the cap or barrel 25. Within the barrel 30, is a coil spring 31, the outer end of which is secured to the barrel and the inner end of which is secured to a sleeve 32 on the tube 10.- The sleeve 32 has an internal gear 33 and an external gear 34, spaced a short distance apart, so that both will be positively rotated in the same direction. A shaft 35 is mounted in suitable bearings in the casing and carries a pinion 36, which may engage with either the internal gear 33 or the external gear 34, -or may occupy an intermediate position, so as to engage with both. At the opposite end of the shaft 35, there is a pinion 37, whichis continually in engagement .with a gear 38, 'slidable on but keyed to the tube 10. The shaft35 may have a collar 39 in engagement with a yoke 40, extending out through a slot in the side of the casing, and a spring cover plate 41 may normally close the opening in the side of the casing and normally tend to prevent accidental longitudinal movement of the yoke and shaft 35. The yoke 40 comprises means for regulating the speed of the brush, and for stopping the brush by frictional contact with the collar 39.

In the operation of this improved device, the cap 21 and the casing 22 are relatively rotated to wind both the spring 28 and the spring 31. During the winding, the pinion into engagement with the internal gear, as

illustrated in Fig. 2, to cause the rotation of the brush and stem in one direction, or it may be moved to the opposite limiting position' in engagement with the gear 34, so as to rotate the brush in the opposite direction. When it is'desired to stop the rotation of the brush, the pinion is brought into engagement with both gears, that is, to the position occupied during the winding of the spring.

The tube 10 extends into the bulb 19, so that the contents of the bulb may be ejected through the tube 10. The bulb may be used for blowing air or it may be previously filled withany desired liquid and used for delivering this liquid to the surface being operated upon by the brush. I

During the use of my improved brush, the dentifrice between the plates14 will be applied directly to the surface operated upon by the brush. As many layers 14 may be employed as desired, and the thickness of the intermediate. layers of dentifrice may be varied at will. It is of course, evident that instead of employing dentifrice, any other polishing or cleaning material may be employed, or any material which it is desired to apply-to a surface with the aid of a brush. After the brush has been used'a single time, the two stem portions .10 and 11 may be moved-relatively to each other to permit the inward movement of the fingers or prongs 12, and the spring 18 will force the entire brush off the stem. A new brush with its layers of dentifrice, may then he slipped on. As the brush is used only a single time, it is always in a cleanly and sanitary condition, and is always in proper form.

Various changes may be made in the construction and operation of the device within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and. desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A tooth brush formed of a plurality of indented elastic layers, and layers composed of a dentifrice adapted to be applied by said elastic layers.

2. A tooth brush formed of a plurality of layers, alternate layers consisting of a dentifrice and the remaining layers consisting of elastic material and indented to form the brush proper.

3. A tooth brush comprising a plurality of resilient disk-like members; a plurality l of layers of dentifrice disposed between said members; and means for clamping said members upon said dentifrice for retaining the same.

In testimony whereof I have signed my nameto this specification in the presence of 15 two subscribing witnesses.

HERMANN REIGHE. Witnesses:

CLAIR W. FAIRBANK, PHILIP D. RoLLHAUs. 

